Member's Sound Bytes and Vids

[MikeA]

I remade that 12-bar blues loop. Same key of "E" (E A B). But it sounds a lot better and is a little different.

[MikeA]

I probably should go into a little bit of music theory after mentioning the 12-bar blues in the previous post. You have probably all heard of the 12-bar blues at some time or other. Though it is most likely the most popular of the standard forms, it has a lot of variations and competition (e.g. 8-bar is also used a lot).

But exactly what does it mean or exactly "what" is it.

If you look it up on Wikipedia, you will see that it is defined as:

"I" "I" "I" "I"
"V" "V" "I" "I"
"IV" "V" "I" "V"

Each "letter" above represents a 4-count measure or "bar" and there are twelve of them, hence the term "12-bar".

So, now you know <LOL>

Okay, The "I" the "IV" and the "V" are generic names of chords used from the scale in whatever key you are playing in. So, what is the "key" and how are the chords determined that are in that Key?

There are a total of 12 basic chords in the complete chromatic scale (A A# B C C# D....etc through G# and then they repeat). However there are only 7 chords in any given key (basic chords I mean, there are an infinite number of exceptions!)

There is a formula that you can use that is described in a web-site I created that explains exactly "how" those 7 chords are determined. You can visit it at THIS LINK if you wish...I will not get THAT far into it here.

But suffice to say that after you have determined those 7 chords, the "I" the "IV" and the "V" refer to the FIRST, FOURTH and FIFTH chords in the key.

A quick reference I use to determine what chords are in a scale can be FOUND HERE in a page devoted to the "Circle of Fifths".

After you select the key you wish to play in ("E" in the case of the loop I created) you have the "I" chord...."E" (duh!) The "IV" chord willl always be the chord one pie wedge in the counterclockwise direction. The "V" chord (A) will always be one position in the Clockwise direction ("B")

So there you have it. Looking at the "Circle" you can see that the "C" key would use "C" as the first...."F" as the fourth...."G" as the fifth.

[MikeA]

Tied to the previous post on 12-bar blues, here is a pattern based on the 8-bar structure. It is the form used by Elvis Presley with "Heartbreak Hotel"


"Heartbreak Hotel" (variation with the I on the first half):
I I I I
IV IV V I

These forms are not etched in granite. They have many variations, but most are based on a verse, an echo and then a turnaround before launching into the next verse or stanza.

[MikeA]

Well, after getting a loop generated that sounded okay, I thought I might try to improvise a little and see what it sounded like. Here's what I came up with. No patches or corrections in this (and you can dern sure tell it).

Boogie Improv:

[MikeA]

It gets confusing. I've seen 12-bar patterns stated

I I I I IV IV I I V IV I V

and THAT's the way I played that loop except I used an IV on the turnaround where I should have used a V. It is the way I usually play it except with that loop, I used a "A7" as a turnaround when I should have used a "B7".

By the way, Blues is usually played with all chords 7ths (E7 B7 A7) and more often than not, you'll hear blues played in the minor so it would be Em7 Am7 and Bm7 although sometimes it is ONLY the V chord that is a 7th.

So I played it E E E E A A B A E A.

But I've seen other patterns for 12-bar that are

I I I I V V I I V IV I IV

Which would play E E E E B B E E B A E A

Okay, it's confusing with all the different acceptable pattern. What matters is what you like best. But when you sit down some someone you aren't used to playing with and they say, lets play some 12-bar in "E"....you'd be sort of embarrassed if you played "A" when your partner was playing a "B".

[MikeA]

Just jammin' to a 100 bpm boogie blues rhythm. It's actually three tracks...one the bass boogie rhythm, then a simple chorded track and finally an improv over it all.

Oh, and on this one I did use the "V" for the turnaround. Played all of this one on my Les Paul with different pickups selected for the three different tracks and a different tone setting, but didn't do a lot with the amp.

Boogie 100

[WalshFan88]

Finally - as promised long ago - a video.

Demoing the Wampler handmade overdrive pedal. Very bluesy. My favorite pedal I've heard or tried. Absolutely great construction and quality. Better be for $200!

http://s1117.photobucket.com/albums/...ent=border.mp4

[WalshFan88]

Just jammin' to a 100 bpm boogie blues rhythm. It's actually three tracks...one the bass boogie rhythm, then a simple chorded track and finally an improv over it all.

Oh, and on this one I did use the "V" for the turnaround. Played all of this one on my Les Paul with different pickups selected for the three different tracks and a different tone setting, but didn't do a lot with the amp.

Boogie 100

Very nice Mike!!!

[MikeA]

I like that overdrive with the new pedal. Not over the top the way you had it set. WORTHY! Really like it.

I have laid down another loop and am hunting for a lead to play over it. See what you think of it. Still 12-bar pattern but stretched out to 60 beats per minute.

I used a lot of effects on the bass run. Fuzz Face distortion, a lot of Delay and Reverb. I wanted to get it deep enough to substitute for a true bass guitar. I think I got pretty close to what I was after.



It is structured to be looped as many times as you wish.

[MikeA]

Okay, it ain't "Boogie" but I think I found the "voice" for that rhythm track. I have to work on the ending. I lost a count somewhere in there <LOL> but I can patch that.


See what you think.